Moldovan producers will test Italian varieties of peach and apricot

The Moldova Fruct Association, in partnership with the Livada Moldovei project and the Plant Production Research Center in Cesena (Italy) have launched an initiative to test new peach and apricot varieties in the country, MOLDPRES reported.

For this, 14 varieties were selected for testing in the southern and central regions of the country. Platimoon, Orihuela, Sweet Cap, Ufo and Alissa are some of the varieties that have been selected with the help of Italian partners and grown on the fields of two member companies of the Moldova Fruct Association.

“Moldova currently does not have the opportunity to research and test new varieties, and producers are forced to test different varieties directly in production and often risk their investments. We decided to take the first steps in testing so that people could see in practice how different varieties of peach and apricot behave, and then make the right decision,” Evgeniy Bumakov, agribusiness specialist at Moldova Fruct explained.

Experts say that at the moment there is a market for all types of fruits, but it is necessary to choose the modern varieties that are most demanded by consumers. According to experts, the field of research in the country has lagged behind, and reform is needed, along with updating other sectors and the legislative framework. This takes time, but the horticultural sector needs solutions now, so the association, together with partners, took the first steps to offer these solutions to producers.

“The Association invites representatives of research institutes to make recommendations. We are grateful to the producers who volunteered to try the varieties on their land. In the next period, all the accumulated experience will be used in the seminars that we organize for our members, as well as for all producers concerned,” Iurie Fala, Executive Director of the Moldova Fruct Association, concluded.